HAYES
COUNTY HISTORY

(from the Hayes County Heritage Book 1877-1977 )

In the 1800's this area was still the land of the Indians and
the buffalo. Settlement was delayed for many years because of the
hostility of the Indians, and many bloody battles were fought
between the various tribes, particularly the Pawnee and the Sioux,
over the possession and use of this ground.

In 1867 General Custer and his Seventh Cavalry were sent south
from Fort McPherson to fight Indians. This was the beginning of a
military trail which crossed Hayes County. Marching toward the
Republican, they went south to the Medicine, then west across
country to the head waters of the Willow, across the Blackwood,
coming out just east of Palisade, on the Frenchman. This was later
called the old Fort Hayes or Fort Wallace, Kansas.

Hayes County was first part of a huge county called Shorter
County. It included most of southwest Nebraska, south of the
Platte and west of a line south from Kearney County. It was later
changed to Lincoln County. It was not until 1877 that the
legislature defined the boundaries of Hayes County.

In the 1880's the famous Texas Cattle Trail wove its way along
and across the Stinking Water Creek in the west part of Hayes
County and on to Ogallala.

Hayes Center, became the county seat at a special election on
Jan. 10, 1885.

A census in 1880 showed a total of 119 persons living in the
county, ten years later the number was 3,953, today it is 1,530
(in 1977).

The first freight was brought up from Culbertson as that was
the end of the railroad, it was a long trip by wagon, especially
with no road. They just struck out south seeking the shortest
route and avoiding the steepest canyons. They went down one day
and loaded up the next day for the long trip home. For a couple of
years freight could be picked up at Beverly as the railroad
advanced. Finally in 1891, it reached Palisade and the trip for
freight was a little shorter. One important item always on the
load of freight was coal oil. It came in large wooden barrels
which invariably leaked, care had to be taken to keep it off of
the other freight.

The early school was held in a room or building that could be
found. Seats were made of boards and boxes. The teachers desk was
a large dry goods box.

Hayes County still has at least three sod houses that are
livable, although no one lives in them at the present time.

Hayes Center was known as the Wind-Mill City as each family had
their own wind-mill for their water supply, there was also a
public wind-mill and tank that was located in the middle of main
street, where people watered their livestock. But today wind-mills
are a thing of the past, as even most farmers use electric pumps
to get their water supply.

The country now included in Hayes County was formerly part of
the great buffalo range, the cherished hunting grounds of the
Indians. Settlement was delayed for many years because of the
hostility of the Red Men. Many bloody battles were fought between
the various Indian tribes, particularly the Pawnee and the Sioux,
over the possession and use of this ground.

The first white men were hunters. Doctor W. F. Carver, "Buffalo
Bill" Cody, and other famous frontier characters hunted here to
supply meat for the workmen and soldiers during the building of
the Union Pacific railroad in 1868-69. In the early seventies
sportsmen came from all over the world to hunt in the valley of
the Red Willow, the Frenchman's Fork and the Stinking Water, the
latter stream got its name from the hundreds of rotting carcasses
left on its bank and in its bed by the hunters. Carver claimed in
1873 that he himself had killed at least thirty thousand buffalo.
This was the year after the famous hunt staged with elaborate
ceremony in honor of Grand Duke Alexis, twenty-two year old
brother of the reigning Czar of Russia. This party, led by
"Buffalo Bill" Cody as chief of scouts and accompanied by General
Sheriden and officers from Fort McPherson, camped the Big
Blackwood eight miles northeast of the present site of Hayes
Center. The famous Sioux Chief, Spotted Tail, along with one
hundred warriors presented a demonstration of the Indian method of
hunting. Followed by a war dance, the whole affair was a brilliant
success and the Duke himself succeeded in killing several
buffalo.

D.L. Neiswanger of Cambridge has placed a monument at the site
of the camp. On the reverse side of this monument are carved the
names of early settlers: Samuel Tate, first settler, (date not
learned), John Ryan, 1881; Joseph K. Paxton, 1870; Mary A. Keeler,
1870; Elisa Keeler, 1872; L. K. Sitler, 1874; Samuel E. Clifford,
1880; W. R. Braugh, 1868; Edna S. Keeler, 1874.

After the battle of 1873 between the Sioux and Pawnee at
Massacre Canyon in Hitchcock County, the Indians gave no more
trouble. Most of the buffalo had been killed and cattlemen began
bringing in their herds to fatten upon the old buffalo range. As
early as 1875 cattle were ranging on the Frenchman and John Delay,
later connected with the Hour Glass Ranch in Dundy county, is said
to have been the first cattleman.

The first homesteads were taken in the vicinity of Carrico
postoffice on Red Willow creek in 1874. It is claimed that the
Sitler, Keelers and Paxtons came about 1870, this many be true, as
settlers of ten occupied the land several years before filing
claims.

In 1878-79 a settlement had sprung up in the Thornburg vicinity
further down the creek. Daniel Fuller, Michael Brennen and Joab
Copeland made the first filing.

Postoffices were established in 1880 at Carrico and Thornburg
on the Red Willow creek and at Estelle on the Stinking Water creek
in the southwest part of the county. Land office records show no
homesteads in the vicinity at this early date, but there were
large cattle ranchers twenty-five Carrico postoffice. Only one of
these ranchers was in Hayes County. Raum and Ray's six miles
southwest of the postoffice.

In the summer of 1881 a correspondent of the Omaha Daily
Republican reported trouble in this vicinity between cattlemen and
the settlers. The recent release on a technicality of a cattleman
who had killed and burned two homesteaders in Custer County had
emboldened the cattlemen who saw their range being appropriated by
the settlers. They resorted to threats and persecution to drive
out the new-comers. The postmaster at Estelle, an old man, had
obtained a power of attorney from certain Texas cattle owners to
collect their stray cattle from the general round-up. These cattle
had been regarded by local ranchers as their legitimate prizes.
Furthermore the postmaster had been skinning the carcasses of
cattle that had perished in the severe weather of the preceding
winter and selling their hides. He was visited early in the spring
by two cowboys who demanded possession of a cow. The old man would
surrender the animal if they would get an order of replevin from
the Justice of the Peace a half mile away. They declared there was
no law in this county and left threatening to raise a mob and hang
the old man. A few days later fifteen men met at a ranch near the
mouth of the Stinking Water and discussed plans for lynching but
give up the idea.

Hayes County was created by an act of the State Legislature
Feb. 19, 1877 but no organization was effected until the latter
part of 1884. According to John S. Wise a meeting of the special
officers appointed by Governor Dawes was held at LaForest on
Blackwood Creek, the home of LaForest Dyer. J.W. Dyer was special
clerk; John M. Daniels, H. H. Troth and William Keith were special
commissioners. Their first act was to call a special election for
Jan. 10, 1885, to choose officers for the new county and submit a
proposition to suspend the herd law. The following officers were
elected: Clerk, J.W. Dyer; Treasurer, J.M. Daniels; Sheriff,
Charles Bailey; Superintendent, Mrs. Mary W. Daniels; County
Judge, M. H. Coons; Commissioners, H.H. Troth, John S. Huges and
John H. Wise.

Coons resigned and Bailey refused to qualify, so Samuel Tate
and Joe Small were renamed acting judge and sheriff respectively
for the new county. John M. Daniels also refused to act as
treasurer and Lou Armstrong was appointed. He deputized James
Cooper who did the office work during his term.

At the special election on Jan. 10, 1885, location proposed for
county seat were Hayes Center, Estelle and LaForest. Non received
a majority of votes and another election was called for April 10,
The two receiving the highest number of votes, namely Hayes Center
and Estelle, were voted upon and Hayes Center won.

The first seat of government was housed in two rooms rented
from J. W. Dyer for which he received $10 per month. The county
offices were moved from time to time. One courthouse burned down
on May 5, 1891 and a new one costing $5,000 was built in 1906.

Estelle in 1885 was a little town with a postoffice and a
general store, a blacksmith shop, a harness shop and a mill. The
mill was owned by Doctor Bostock who combined the practice of
healing the sick with that of grinding flour to feed the hungry.
That year Hayes Center had been built as a location for the county
seat by promoters. It claimed a population of 100. M.J. Abbot,
attorney, was also editor of the Hayes Center news. It began
publication of April 9, 1885, the day before Hayes Center was
voted the county seat. Dambaugh brothers had a drug store. A.J.
West and Hicks Martin each had a stock of general merchandise;
B.F. Yates was a wagon-maker; I.M. Davis sold agricultural
implements; J.L. Meredith was a physician; T.J. Galeway practiced
law; and R.C. Waler had the postoffice.

Many of the first schoolhouses in the county were of sod but a
least one differed, a stone schoolhouse at the A.J. Irvine ranch
on the Stinking Water Creek. This is still in good condition.

The first teacher in Hayes Center as far as can be learned was
Andy Hatch, who taught in 1885 in a little house near where Loren
Enyeart's barn now stands. He was followed by Mrs. Will West.
Other early teachers were Mrs. John Snee, Mrs. Mary Hillman, Mrs.
Margaret West, J.E. Hammond, and Joseph Crosby. In 1906 Hayes
Center added high school grades. There was one room on the
business street where the ninth and tenth grades were taught by
the principal, H>S> Robinson. A little later a county high
school was built at Hayes Center.

One of Hayes County's features is the Duke Alexis recreation
ground eight miles northeast of Hayes Center. The area contains
approximately 140 acres, including a 100 acre lake, well stocked
with fish.

Hayes County today is purely an agricultural and stock raising
community. The same land which made buffalo thrive now fattens
hundreds of beef cattle and yields excellent crops.